Welcome to the new era of menswear sewing. Go ahead and create something exceptional!

Tag Archives: Nicole Bertram

It’s chilly and the rain is pouring down this morning. Time for pumpkins, hooded jackets and mushroom hunting! Nicole (my sewing friend and proprietress of The Spool Sewing Studio) created this rain jacket with Fall weather in mind. She used The Landgate pattern by Merchant & Mills and our burnt orange cotton canvas that we include in our Bag Making Kits.

Since I took these photos she has been working away at waxing this jacket with Otterwax in hopes of waterproofing the garment and creating the gorgeous patina that resulted when I waxed my Mom’s bag. Of course, a jacket is a lot more work to wax than a bag so she hasn’t quite finished it yet. She reports that she is struggling to work the wax into the fabric. I remember, when I first finished my Mom’s bag it looked chalky, as though the wax had hardened on the surface. I put the bag in the dryer with an old towel and was pleased with how the wax soaked in. Nicole tried this without being satisfied with the results so we have some more experimenting to do! Sometimes I think the best way to create a nice patina on waxed fabric is just to use the garment or bag for a while…kind of in the same way you would wear in new shoes or denim. I will try to update you when we’ve finished the waxing process (I think I will step in and help her out since she so kindly modelled the Landgate for me!).

Now, let’s talk more about this awesome pattern! It is a unisex design but I’ve only seen it on women in person (but Google “Landgate Pattern” to see some amazing menswear versions!). I shall have to get Matt to try on Nicole’s Landgate once it is fully waxed.

This pattern features a gorgeous yoke detail paired with raglan sleeves and a deep hood which includes a tall, built in collar.

The hood features draw strings. The partial zip at centre front includes an insert to protect the chin and neck from the wind (and from the zipper!). These details work together to provide ultimate protection from stormy weather. With the draw strings pulled tight and the neck zip done up you could walk into driving rain with only your eyes exposed!

The sleeves are quite long and wide and the body is boxy which makes the jacket an excellent shell. There is a lot of room to layer a heavy wool sweater underneath. Nicole made a size Medium I believe – correct me if I am wrong, Nicole! – to ensure an extra roomy fit. She also wanted to make sure there was enough length for full bum coverage when biking.

Even though the jacket is boxy, it doesn’t need to look like a sack. The waist drawstring can be cinched as tight as you would like. I think it would be best kept loose or only slightly cinched if worn by a man but it looks quite flattering cinched on a woman!

The pockets are probably my favourite detail on this jacket. There are sneaky side pockets which are set forward from the side seam. Side seam pockets can be a tad uncomfortable to use since they are set so far back. These are far better! On top of these pockets are very roomy patch pockets with flaps. I like the two pocket options because your wallet and phone can be protected in the patch pockets leaving lots of room for your hands in the other pockets.

The Landgate is unlined as you can see in the photo below.

Nicole did a lovely job of finishing all of the seams with her serger. Just because a garment is unlined doesn’t mean it will be ugly on the inside! Check out her beautiful batik pocket linings. The print reminds me of onions! 😀

You did an excellent job sewing up this pattern, Nicole! I hope your next version goes just as well (yes…she already has another one on her list of sewing project ideas!).

A compliation of your finished projects by Nicole

You guys! What an incredible response to our new Camas top! We are already getting lots of photos of completed tops so I am just going to dive right in:

1. Over at Cookin’ and Craftin’ you will find a lovely bunch of photos of this Mod flower Camas top (by the way, floral Camas blouses get bonus points since Camas is a kind of meadow flower!). This Camas features a sturdy knit for the placket and yoke- a great way to skip interfacing!

2. If one were going to be married in a Camas Blouse, surely it would be this pearl buttoned, lacy yoked, soft white dream from Couture In Love (as seen on Instagram):

3. Deadly Craft made a sleeveless version for the Australian heat- but sequinned for the holiday season. Look how lovely the back drape is when it’s tucked in.

4. I did a triple-take when I first saw Elena’s Camas top with the bird hanging out on her– was that photoshopped?? Nope, really a bird, and really a lovely top. She shortened the sleeves which looks really flattering, and the snaps are a great touch. Elena also went two sizes smaller to get the fit she prefers, so it’s worth exploring the finished garment measurements (provided in the pattern) to get the fit you want.

Whew- six gorgeous new tops for hard working sewists! It is so fun to see how people change the pattern after Morgan sends it out into the world- shortening or removing sleeves, adding snaps, using wovens. It will be exciting and inspiring to see all the ways people continue to customize their Camas tops!

Welcome to the second weekly feature that I will be including on the blog (the first is the In the Wild feature that I began on Tuesday)! Thursdays will include a little pictorial look at the Thread Theory studio. And here is the first scheduled glimpse!

Matt and I have been busy packing patterns with the very generous help of my blogger – and now real life – friend Nicole Bertram! She’s a sewing instructor (and yoga instructor) who has just recently moved to the Comox Valley so if you are from the valley and have been following this blog with hopes of learning how to sew – she is the sewing instructor for you! Check out her website for all sorts of sewing inspiration (and her many awesome versions of the Newcastle Cardigan).

I know a sewing studio isn’t normally comprised of a living room floor and a kitchen counter…but ours most certainly is! Thread Theory is largely fueled by home made pizza (yum!) and pattern packing parties (fun!). Thanks for your help Nicole!